Nebulizer



y 1968 R. D. PARRY 3,382,870

NEBQLIZER Filed Oct. 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZMM 29. P

him/Mfrs y 1968 R. D. PARRY 3,382,870

NEBULIZER Filed Oct. 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W QMOQW United States Patent ()fi ice 3,382,870 Patented May 14, 1968 3,382,870 NEBULIZER Robert D. Parry, 7240 Algonquin Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243 Filed Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 496,766 16 Claims. (Cl. 128-173) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A nebulizer is disclosed including a plastic squeeze bottle having a neck in which is seated a nebulizing device, the lower portion of which is exposed to the inside of the bottle. The nebulizing device has a small straight unobstructed passage through its center, and further has a cavity radiating from a side of the passage. The cavity has a configuration to hold liquid therein by capillary action, and communicates with the passage and the air inside the container when the container is in its perative nebulizing position with the neck uppermost.

This invention relates to nebulizers, and it is directed in particular to a pocket sized, economical nebulizer that is adapted to produce a smoke-like mist from an oil-based liquid such as the oil-based medicament used for the treatment of respiratory ailments. For this purpose, the mist produced must be so fine that it can be inhaled into the lungs.

Attention is directed to copending application Ser. No. 497,030, filed contemporaneously herewith.

There are presently available a number of inexpensive pocket sized atomizers, Patent Nos. 2,577,312 and 2,- 676,060 being representative of the prior art. A typical atomizer of this sort comprises a plastic squeeze bottle that holds a supply of liquid, a spray head seated in the neck of the bottle, a tube depending from the head to adjacent the bottom of the bottle, and a cap to seal the bottle. However, these atomizers produce comparatively coarse sprays and they are limited in use to the dispensing of low viscosity liquids only, such as water or alcohol based medicament and deodorants. Viscous, oil-based liquids issue from these atomizers in the form of a stream. The resistance to shear stresses of these oily liquids prevent their break-up into a spray in the comparatively low pressure airstream generated in these atomizers.

There are also presently available fairly expensive nebulizers that are capable of producing a fine mist from oil-based medicament. In these nebulizers. the high pressure stream of air required to shatter the oil into a mist is generated by a squeeze bulb. These nebulizers, for the most part, are designed to be charged before use with an oil-based medicament from a separate container, the liquid being transferred to the nebulizer by means such as an eye dropper. Nebulizers of this type are designed primarily for use in the home; and although they can be carried on the person, they make bulky packages, particularly when a container of medicament must be carried along with them. By comparison, a pocket sized atomizer of the type to which reference has been made is no larger than the squeeze bulb of a nebulizer designed for home use.

It has been the primary objective of this invention to provide a nebulizer that produces as fine a mist from oilbased liquids as the expensive nebulizers designed for home use; and, further, one that is as small as and as inexpensive as the pocket sized atomizers to which reference has been made.

In the preferred embodiment, the nebulizer of this invention utilizes a plastic squeeze bottle that is the same general type as those used for the inexpensive, pocket sized atomizers of the past. This bottle holds a supply of the oil-based liquid to be nebulized, and a cap is provided so that the nebulizer may be carried in the pocket without spillage.

The novel feature of the nebulizer of this invention is a device that is seated within the neck of the bottle. There is no connection between this device and the supply of liquid in the bottom of the bottle, such as the tubes used in the atomizers of the past. This device, referred to as a nebulizing device for the purpose of this disclosure, has a lower portion that is exposed to the air inside the bottle above the supply of liquid that is contained therein. This lower portion has cavities therein configurated to hold a minor supply of liquid by capillary action. These cavities are charged by momentarily tipping the bottle to expose the lower portion of the nebulizer device to liquid. The upper portion of the nebulizing device is in the form of a barrel, preferably of a size to be inserted into a persons nostril. A small air passage extends up through the lower portion and opens into the barrel. The sides of this passage are open to liquid held in the nebulizer device by capillary action. An important consideration is, however, that only a minimal amount of liquid is exposed to the passage. For example, one form of nebulizing device incorporating the principles of this invention has a conical cavity centered in the bottom thereof. The small air passage to the barrel is at the top of this conical cavity. Liquid is held in the device in a capillary sized cross slot extendng diametrically through the lower portion thereof. The upper edge of this cross slot cuts through the air passage just above the slanting wall of the conical cavity, This leaves two generally triangular capillary cavities at the sides of the conical cavity. Opposite sides of the wall of the conical cavity form the hypotenuses of the triangular cavities, the opposite sides of the Outer wall of the lower portion of the nebulizer device form two vertical sides of the triangular cavities, and the upper edge of the cross slot forms the third, horizontal, sides of the triangular cavities. The two adjacent corners of the two triangular cavities are cut by the air passage, leaving only slight areas of the two triangular cavities exposed to an airstream passing through the passage. Thus, only a small fraction of the oil-based liquid held in the capillary cavities is exposed to the airstream.

The air passage is straight and unobstructed, and .a high speed stream of air can be generated in it by the squeezing of the plastic bottle. This stream picks up a minute quantity of the oil-based liquid from the capillary cavities at the sides of the passage and shears it into a fine mist. The barrel, bearing many times larger than the opening of the passage from which the mist is discharged, acts as a diffuser for the airstream such that a small cloud of mist is produced with each equeeze of the bottle.

The minute quantity of oil-based liquid pulled from the cavities at the sides of the passage with each squeeze of the bottle is immediately replaced by capillary action of the liquid in the cavities. In one form of the device of this invention, the two capillary cavities are of a size to hold a total of approximately one drop of liquid. It is found that it takes as many as thirty to forty squeezes of the bottle to completely exhaust the drop of liquid, this being illustrative of the fineness of the mist that is produced by the nebulizer. In other forms of the invention, provision is made to increase the capacities of the capillary cavities.

Reference is now made to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a nebulizer incorporating the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the upper portion only of the nebulizer in cross section.

J FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating a preferred form of nebulizing device, this cross sectional view being taken on a plane at a right angle to the plane of the cross section of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the nebulizing device of FIGURE 3.

illustrating the manner in which the capillary cavities of the nebulizing device are supplied with liquid.

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view illustrating the manner in which the container of the nebulizer is squeezed to produce a mist of the liquid contained therein.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the upper portion only of the nebulizer showing liquid in the capillary cavities.

In FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a preferred form of container 10 that may be used for the nebulizer of this invention. This container may be made of a plastic such as polyethylene to provide resilient walls. It is preferred that the bottom 11 of this container be fiat so that the container will stand upright upon a supporting surface. A neck 12 having threads 13 thereon projects from the top center of the container. A cap 14 is provided having threads therein to engage threads 13 to provide a closure for the container. The container 1i) including the cap 14 may be of conventional design, similar to the capped containers utilized in the past for pocket sized atomizers. In use, a supply of an oil-based liquid is placed in the container, but in the lower portion only thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 1 at 15. In this Way, there is a comparatively large volume of air within the container above the liquid.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that resilient walled containers of different configurations than the specific one illustrated in the drawings may be employed for the nebulizer.

Neck 12 of the container is hollow, cylindrical and preferably smooth. However, it will be apparent that locking protuberances or detents may be provided to lock in place Within the neck a nebulizing device designated generally by the numeral 16. This nebulizing device preferably is molded from a hard plastic material. As shown, that part of the nebulizing device seated Within the neck is cylindrical and it fits tightly within the neck. That portion of the nebulizing device that projects from the neck is configurated to provide a shoulder as at 17 that fits down onto the upper rim of the neck. Above this point the outside of the device tapers in as shown at 18 so that it may be inserted readily into a persons nostril.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the nebulizing device is arbitrarily divided into an upper portion extending generally the length of the bracket 19 in FIGURE 2, and a lower portion extending generally the length of the bracket 26. The interior of the upper portion of the nebulizing device has a cylindrical bore 21 therein to provide a barrel-like configuration for the upper part. This barrel has a floor 22 that slopes slightly radially outwardly from the central axis of the barrel to the inner wall 23 of the barrel.

The lower portion 20 of the nebulizing device is con figurated to provide a conical cavity 24 therein. It is preferred that the circle at the base of this conical cavity coincide with the periphery at the lower end of the nebulizing device. The apex of the conical cavity 24 is open to the inside of barrel 21 on the central axis thereof through a passage 25. A cross slot 26 cuts diametrically through the lower portion of the nebulizing device. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the cross slot forms two generally triangular cavities 27-27 that are at the respective sides of conical cavity 24, these cavities being designated capillary cavities for reasons to be explained. These capillary cavities are open to the conical cavity. It is to be noted that the upper edge of cross slot 26 cuts through passage 25, the passage cutting off the adjacent corners of the two triangularly shaped capillary cavities 27-27.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the capillary cavities 27-27 are approximately of an inch in width. A slot of this width is found to satisfactorily hold by capillary action an oil-based liquid such as the oilbased medicarnents used in the treatment of respiratory ailments. As an expediency in the molding of the nebulizing device, passage 25 may be square With each side of the square being as long as the width of the cross slot forming the triangular shaped capillary cavities 2727. The areas at the cut off corners of the two capillary cavities exposed to the passage may vary. It is found that the height of these exposed areas may be varied between approximately ten thousandths of an inch and approximately thirty thousandths of an inch. Smaller areas of exposure at the corners of the capillary cavities result in a finer mist being produced than when larger areas of these corners are exposed. An important consideration is that there be a minimal amount of such exposure, as will be explained.

In the modifications of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, provision is made to increase the capacity of the nebulizing device for holding liquid therein by capillary action. As illustrated in FIGURE 6, two cross slots 29 and 30 are provided. These cross slots are at right angles to one another and they are similar to the cross slot 26, including their relationship to passage 25 of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2. Additionally, an annular groove such as the one shown at 31 may be cut into the bottom of the nebulizing device, the depth of this groove being equal to the depths of cross slots 29 and 39. The width of groove 31 is preferably the same as the width of each of cross slots 29 and 30 so that it too is capable of holding an oil-based liquid therein by capillary action.

In use, cap 14 is removed and liquid supplied to the capillary cavities in the nebulizing device by tipping the container momentarily as shown in FIGURE 8 so that the liquid may fiow into the capillary cavities. The container is then turned into an upright position so that the major supply of oil-based liquid returns to the bottom portion of the container, leaving the capillary cavities exposed to air within the container. The sides of the container are then squeezed quickly to compress the air within the container and cause it to exit through passage 25 into barrel 21 as shown in FIGURE 10. The fast moving stream of air going outwardly through passage 25 picks up and entrains a small amount of the liquid in the capillary cavities from the minimal areas of the cavities exposed to the sides of the passage. It is believed that the fast moving stream of air thus generated shears the liquid into a mist in going through the passage. As shown, the internal diameter of the barrel is many times the width of passage 25 so that the barrel serves as a diffuser for the high-pseed stream of air, slowing it so that the mist of iiquid entrained within the stream of air issues from the end of the barrel in the form of a cloud. The mist within this cloud is found to be sufficiently fine that it can be inhaled into a persons lungs.

Being of capillary size, it is found that no oil-based liquid leaks from the passage 25 when the container is laid on its side. It is preferred, however, that cap 14 he used upon the container to seal it when it is carried upon the person.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A nebulizer to produce a smoke-like mist of an oilbased liquid medicament comprising a resilient container to hold a major suply of said medicament in the lower portion only thereof with air in said container above said major supply of medicament, a nebulizing device, means seating said nebulizing device in the wall of said container in the upper portion thereof, said device having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion exposed to the air inside of said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said device uppermost and being configurated to hold a minor supply of medicament therein by capillary action, said minor supply being obtained and replenished by tipping said container to momentarily expose said major supply to said lower portion of said device, said upper portion of said device configurated to provide a hollow barrel projecting from said container, there being an air passage extending axially of said device through said lower portion and having an opening therefrom located at the level of, and communicating directly with, the inner radial extremity of said minor supply of medicament, whereby the squeezing of said container drives a stream of air upwardly through said passage to entrain medicament from said minor supply of medicament, the upper end of said passage opening into said barrel, and said barrel having a substantially larger internal diameter than said passage to serve as a diffuser for said stream of air.

2. A n'eublizer to produce a smoke-like mist of an oilbased liquid comprising a resilient walled container, a supply of said liquid in the lower portion only of said container, there being air in said container above said supply of liquid, a nebulizing device, means seating said nebulizer device in the wall of said container in the upper portion thereof, said device having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion exposed to the air inside of said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said device uppermost and having at least one cavity therein configurated to hold a small quantity of said liquid therein by capillary action, said liquid adapted to enter said cavity by tipping said container to momentarily expose said supply of liquid to said lower portion of said device, said upper portion of said device configurated to provide a hollow barrel projecting from said container, there being an air passage extending axially of said device through said lower portion and having an opening therefrom located at the level of, and connecting directly with, the inner radial extremity of said cavity, whereby the squeezing of said container drives a stream of air upwardly through said passage to entrain liquid from said cavity, the outer end of said passage opening into said barrel, and said barrel having a substantially larger internal diameter than said passage to serve as a diffuser for said stream of air.

3. A neubilizer to produce a smoke-like mist of an oilbased liquid comprising a resilient container to hold a major supply of said liquid in the lower portion only thereof with air in said container above said major supply of liquid, a nebulizing device, means seating said nebulizing device in the wall of said container in the upper portion thereof, said device having a part thereof normally exposed to the air inside of said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said device uppermost and being configurated to hold a minor supply of said liquid therein by capillary action, said minor supply being obtained and replenished by tipping said container to momentarily expose said major supply to said part of said device, and an air passage extending axially of said device and having an opening from said passage located at the level of, and communicating directly with, the inner radial extremity of said nebulizing device part containing said minor supply of said liquid, whereby the squeezing of said container drives a stream of air upwardly through said passage to entrain liquid from said minor supply.

4. A nebulizer to produce a smoke-like mist of an oilbased liquid comprising a resilient container to hold a major supply of said liquid in the lower portion only thereof with air in said container above said major supply of medicament, a nebulizing device, means seating said nebulizing device in the wall of said container in the upper portion thereof, there being an unobstructed, straight passage through said nebulizing device open from the inslde of said container, to the outside thereof, said passage having an opening therein, and there being at least one cavity in said device extending radially from said passage that is configurated to hold a minor supply of said llquid by capillary action, said cavity communicating with said air inside said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said device uppermost, the innermost radial extremity of said cavity being located at the level of said opening and further communicating directly with said passage, said minor sup-ply being obtained and replenished by tipping said container to momentarily expose said major supply to said cavity.

5. A nebulizer to produce a smoke-like mist of an oil based liquid comprising a resilient walled container, a supply of said liquid in a lower portion only of said contalner, there being air in said container above said supply of liquid, at nebulizing device, means seating said nebulizing device in the wall of said container above said supply of liquid, there being an unobstructed passage straight through said nebulizing device from the inside of said container to the outside thereof, said passage having an opening, there being at least one cavity in said nebulizing device radiating from and having its inner radial extremity located at the level of said opening and in direct communication with said passage and having a part thereof normally exposed to the air in said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said device uppermost, and said cavity being configurated to hold said liquid therein by capillary action and being adapted to receive said liquid from said supply upon the tipping of said container 6. A nebulizer to produce a smoke-like mist of an oil-based liquid comprising a resilient walled container adapted to hold a supply of said liquid in the lower portion only thereof with air in said container above said liquid, a nebulizing device, means seating said nebulizing device in the wall of said container above said supply of liquid, there being a small unobstructed passage through said device that is open from the inside of said container to the outside thereof such that a stream of air is exhausted from the container through said passage upon the squeezing of said container, said passage having an opening, there being at least one cavity in said device adapted to receive and hold liquid therein by capillary action upon the tipping of said container to expose said cavity to liquid within the container, said cavity communicating with said air in said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said device uppermost, said cavity having its inner radial extremity located at the level of said opening and communicating directly with said passage, thereby exposing a minor part only of said cavity to a side of said passage such that a portion only of the liquid in said cavity is exposed to said stream of air upon the squeezing of said container.

7. A nebulizer comprising a plastic squeeze bottle having a neck, a nebulizing device seated within said neck with the lower portion thereof exposed to the inside of said bottle, there being a small, straight, unobstructed passage through the center of said device, said passage having an opening, and there being a cavity in said device radiating from a side of said passage and being of a configuration to hold liquid therein by capillary action, said cavity communicating with said air inside side container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said neck uppermost, said cavity further having its inner radial extremity located at the level of said opening and communicating directly with said passage.

8. A nebulizer as set forth in claim 7 in which said neck is threaded externally, and a cap adapted to thread on said neck to seal said container.

9. A nebulizer comprising a resilient walled container having a neck projecting from the top thereof, a nebulizing device seated within said neck and having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion having a conical cavity centered therein with the base of said conical cavity open to the inside of said container, said upper portion of said device configurated to provide a hollow barrel projecting from said neck, there being a short, small passage opening from the top of said conical cavity into the bottom of said hollow barrel, there being at least one slot extending from a side of said conical cavity and from said passage toward a side of said device in said lower portion, said slot being in communication with the air in said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said neck uppermost and said slot being of a size to hold an oil-based liquid therein by capillary action.

10. A nebulizer as set forth in claim 9 in which the bottom of said barrel surrounding said opening of said passage into said barrel slopes downwardly radially outwardly from said opening.

11. A nebulizer comprising a resilient walled container, a hollow neck in the upper portion of said container, a nebulizing device seated in said neck, there being a small, unobstructed, straight passage for air through said device from the interior of said container to the outside thereof, said passage having an opening, said device having a cavity therein with a minor area thereof at its inner radial extremity located at the level of said opening and directly open to a side of said passage and a major area thereof open to the inside of said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said neck uppermost, and said cavity being of a size and configuration to hold an oil-based liquid therein by capillary action.

12. A nebulizer as set forth in claim 11 in which said container is configurated to provide a base to support said container in a horizontal surface with said device at the top of said container.

13. A device to produce a smoke like mist from an oil-based liquid comprising a plastic squeeze bottle having a base to support said bottle in an upright position on a horizontal surface, a supply of said liquid in the lower portion only of said bottle, a hollow neck at the top of said bottle, a nebulizer device seated in said neck, there being a small, unobstructed, straight passage for air through said device from the interior of said container to the outside thereof, said passage having an opening, said device having a cavity therein with a minor area thereof at its inner radial extremity located at the level of said opening and directly open to a side of said passage and a major area thereof open to the inside of said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said neck uppermost, and said cavity being of a size and configuration to hold an oil-based liquid therein by capillary action.

14. A nebulizer comprising a resilient walled container having a neck projecting from the top thereof, a nebulizing device seated within said neck and having an upper portion and a lower portion, the said lower portion having a conical cavity centered therein with the base of said conical cavity open to the inside of said container, said upper portion of said device configurated to provide a hollow barrel projecting from said neck, there being a short, small passage opening from the top of said conical cavity into the bottom of said hollow barrel, a cross slot extending diametrically through the lower portion of said nebulizing device, said cross slot being open to said conical cavity and to said passage and to the air inside said container when said device is operatively positioned for nebulizing with said neck uppermost, and said slot being of a width to hold an oil-based liquid therein by capillary action.

15. A nebulizer as set forth in claim 14 in which there is provided an annular groove that is centered on the axis of said passage, the diameter of said annular groove being less than the width of the lower portion of said nebulizing device and cutting through said cross slot, said annular groove being of a width to hold an oil-based liquid therein by capillary action.

16. A nebulizer as set forth in claim 14 in which a second cross slot is provided that extends through the lower portion of said nebulizing device at right angles to the aforementioned cross slots.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,113,069 10/1914 Trask 12-8173 2,670,739 3/1954 McNeill 128--173 2,906,463 9/1959 Curry 128173 X 2,980,342 4/1961 Armour l28-l73 X 3,004,718 10/ 1961 Gorman 12 8-l73 X RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

W. E. KAMM, Examiner. 

